Evolve

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER presents a compelling study in bottleneck dynamics for a 2015 title like Evolve. The data reveals a processor with immense headroom paired with a mid-range graphics card that, while capable, defines the performance ceiling in most scenarios. This analysis breaks down the measured results to understand where the limits lie and how to best configure the game for this specific hardware combination.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo in Evolve?

A: The combination ranks 2450 out of 2872 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower half of the database. This suggests that while the hardware is functional, it does not deliver top-tier performance for Evolve compared to other pairings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 has an average benchmark score of 64640. It is essentially tied with the AMD EPYC 4464P, which scores 64823 (a 0.3% difference). It is slightly ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F by 0.3% and the AMD EPYC 7343 by 0.7%, while being 0.7% behind the AMD EPYC 9124.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile relative to all other graphics cards?

A: The GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER sits at the 53rd percentile, indicating it performs better than roughly half of the GPUs in the database. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, which is only 0.4% faster.

Q: What is the best average FPS achieved at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS recorded at 1920x1080 is 123, achieved with the Low settings preset. This demonstrates the combination's ability to deliver high frame rates when graphical demands are reduced.

Q: Is the frame rate at 4K playable at any setting?

A: At 3840x2160, the only preset that reaches a playable 30 FPS threshold is Low, with an average of 47 FPS. The Medium preset averages 37 FPS, while High and Ultra drop to 29 and 20 FPS respectively, indicating a significant struggle at this resolution.

Q: Which component is more likely to be the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data implies the GPU is the primary bottleneck. At 1080p, the CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by its high multi-threaded scores. The frame rate scales significantly with graphical settings (from 52 FPS at Ultra to 123 FPS at Low), which points to the graphics card being the component that dictates performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is a Turing-architecture card built on a 12 nm process. It features 1408 shading units and 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. Its base and boost clocks are listed at 1530 MHz and 1785 MHz, respectively. In the context of Evolve, this hardware configuration acts as the primary arbiter of frame rate, especially as resolution and graphical fidelity increase.

The benchmark results show a clear pattern where the GPU's capabilities are stretched thin. At 1920x1080, the card can push an average of 123 FPS on Low and 96 FPS on Medium, showing that it has enough raw power for high-refresh-rate gaming at lower settings. However, the performance curve steeply declines as settings are raised. At Ultra, the average FPS drops to 52, indicating that the card's 6 GB VRAM and compute throughput are heavily taxed by the game's highest visual demands.

The GPU's role becomes even more pronounced at higher resolutions. The transition from 1080p to 1440p to 4K reveals a linear degradation in performance that is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The card's 192-bit memory bus and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to keep up with the pixel throughput required at 4K, leading to the sub-30 FPS averages seen on High settings. The data suggests that the GTX 1660 SUPER is a competent 1080p card, but its limitations are quickly exposed when resolution is prioritized over frame rate.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data illustrates a predictable decline in performance as resolution increases, but the rate of that decline offers insight into the system's limiting component. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 75 at 1920x1080 to 50 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 33%. Moving further to 3840x2160, the average plummets to 29 FPS, which is a 42% drop from the 1440p figure and a 61% drop from the 1080p figure.

This scaling pattern is a classic indicator of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU, with its 20 cores and 20 threads, is more than capable of feeding the graphics card at all resolutions. The performance loss is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's inability to render an increasing number of pixels. The 4K resolution requires four times the pixel count of 1080p, and the GTX 1660 SUPER simply does not have the fill rate or memory bandwidth to handle that workload at high settings.

The scaling on Low settings tells a similar story, albeit from a higher starting point. The average FPS goes from 123 at 1080p to 83 at 1440p (a 33% drop) and then to 47 at 4K (a 43% drop from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops across different settings presets reinforce the conclusion that resolution is the dominant factor, and the GPU is the component being saturated. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see less variation in FPS across different resolutions, as the CPU's workload would remain relatively constant.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this combination in Evolve is found at 1920x1080 with the Medium settings preset. This configuration yields an average FPS of 96, with a minimum of 81 and a maximum of 110. This provides a smooth, highly playable experience that balances visual quality with performance. The High preset at 1080p also offers a solid 75 FPS average, but the Medium preset provides a more substantial buffer above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring a more consistent frame time.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the best choice for those who prioritize resolution over maximum frame rate. It produces an average of 64 FPS, which is just above the playable threshold, with dips to 55 FPS. The High preset at 50 FPS average is also acceptable for slower-paced gameplay, but the Medium preset offers a safer margin. For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the only viable option, delivering an average of 47 FPS. While this is playable, the visual compromises are significant. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it yields an average of only 52 FPS at 1080p, which drops to an unplayable 20 FPS at 4K.

The data clearly shows that the "Ultra" preset offers diminishing returns for this hardware. The jump from High to Ultra at 1080p costs 23 FPS (from 75 to 52), a 31% performance hit. This suggests that the Ultra preset relies on effects that are particularly demanding on the GTX 1660 SUPER's architecture. For the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, the Medium or High presets at 1080p are the recommended starting points.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates provides a detailed picture of this combo's performance. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: Average 123 FPS.
• Medium: Average 96 FPS (min 81, max 110).
• High: Average 75 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 52 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops accordingly:

• Low: Average 83 FPS.
• Medium: Average 64 FPS (min 55, max 74).
• High: Average 50 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 35 FPS.

At the demanding 3840x2160 resolution, the results show significant strain:

• Low: Average 47 FPS.
• Medium: Average 37 FPS (min 31, max 42).
• High: Average 29 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 20 FPS.

The data confirms a consistent and expected trend: for every step up in resolution, the average FPS drops by roughly a third. The gap between Low and Ultra settings also widens with resolution. At 1080p, the difference is 71 FPS (123 vs 52), while at 4K, the difference is 27 FPS (47 vs 20). This indicates that the GPU is not only limited by resolution but also by the increased computational complexity of higher settings, making the Low preset the only way to achieve a fluid experience at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its substantial L3 cache (30 MB shared) and high memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s ensure that it can feed data to the GPU without becoming a bottleneck. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 42216 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 5960 in single-core, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs.

In the context of Evolve, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls. Given that the game was released in 2015, its threading requirements are far below what this modern processor offers. The high frame rates at 1080p Low (123 FPS) are proof of the CPU's ability to keep up with the GPU. The fact that performance scales so heavily with resolution and settings points to the GPU as the sole limiting factor; the CPU is never the constraint in this pairing.

This creates a situation where the CPU is significantly underutilized. The processor's immense multi-threading capabilities, evidenced by a Passmark multithread score of 49682, are simply not needed for a game of this era. This means that users could run other applications in the background without impacting game performance. The CPU's high single-thread score of 4689 also ensures that even the main game thread, which is often the bottleneck in older titles, is handled with ease. The data strongly suggests that any performance issues in Evolve are entirely attributable to the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks 2450 out of 2872 tested combos in Evolve. This places it in the bottom 15% of all system configurations tested for this game. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's performance, which, as established, is the limiting factor. The CPU's high percentile (93rd) does not translate to a high ranking in this game because the GPU's 53rd percentile and its 6 GB VRAM constrain the overall experience.

This pairing is a clear example of a mismatched system, where a top-tier modern processor is paired with a mid-range, end-of-life graphics card. The CPU has the potential to support far more powerful GPUs, but the GTX 1660 SUPER holds it back. In synthetic benchmarks, the GPU is practically tied with the AMD Radeon RX 580 (0.4% difference), which is a similarly aged card. This suggests that the performance is representative of that tier of hardware from a few years ago.

The low rank is not a reflection of the CPU's capability, but rather of the GPU's inability to deliver high frame rates at higher settings and resolutions. If this CPU were paired with a more powerful GPU, the ranking would likely be significantly higher. The data indicates that for Evolve, the GTX 1660 SUPER is the bottleneck, and users looking for a better experience would need to upgrade the graphics card to see a meaningful improvement in frame rates, especially at 1440p and 4K resolutions.